Teaming up to fight fly-tipping

Central Bedfordshire Council has teamed up with residents to combat the problem of fly-tipping.

And that has led to a first fixed penalty notice being issued for a small-scale offence since new laws came in this year.

Residents from Kensworth and Dunstable contacted the council with concerns about commercial and domestic waste being dumped in various areas, including Beech Road, Lynch Road, Hollicks Lane and Spratts Lane.

The council is encouraging residents to report any instances of fly-tipping which are in turn examined for any evidence which could lead back to who dumped the rubbish.

Following a tip-off on November 1, officers investigated a small amount of rubbish which had been dumped in Beech Road, Dunstable.

They were able to trace the vehicle which had dumped the waste and that led them to a local man who admitted fly-tipping when he was called in for interview by the council.

He was issued with a £300 fixed penalty notice, reduced to £200 if paid within eight days. And it was the discounted rate which the resident paid.

Councillor Brian Spurr said: “Although this may seem like a minor case it is a very important one, as it highlights the benefits of residents and the council working together for the good of their community to solve an ongoing issue.

“As this example shows, being able to issue fixed penalty notices for minor offences means that fly-tippers can be dealt with quickly. It also demonstrates to residents that we take their concerns seriously and will hopefully deter would-be fly-tippers.

“If you spot any instances of fly-tipping, please do get in touch with us and we will do our upmost to bring those responsible to justice.”

The fixed penalty notices are for smaller instances of fly-tipping while people found responsible for dumping larger amounts of waste will face prosecution through the courts and a maximum fine of £50,000 or imprisonment.